Dishwasher/dryer

The present invention relates to operation control of a dishwasher used by being incorporated in a kitchen unit.

FIG. 10 shows the configuration of a dishwasher / dryer currently on the market. Inside the housing 101, there is an object storage unit 102 for storing dishes, cooking containers, etc., and water pressurized by the pump 103 is a nozzle. It spouts from 104 and cleans the dishes in the object to be cleaned 102. In addition, the dishes that have been washed are dried by a heater (not shown) in the object storage unit 102. The cleaning and drying instructions are given by the button group 106 installed in the operation unit 105, the signal is transmitted to the controller 108 by the cable group 107, and the controller 108 is transmitted to the pump 103 by the cable group 109, and the cleaning is performed. It is started, and it is transmitted to the heater and drying is started.<patcit num="1"><text>Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2006-109880</text></patcit>

<p> However, since the signal is transmitted from the operation unit of the conventional dishwasher to the controller by a cable group in which both are connected by a connector, the number of cables increases and the routing distance increases as the number of operation buttons increases. There was a drawback that the wiring system of the equipment became complicated due to the lengthening. Further, when the distance for transmitting the signal is long, the signal may be attenuated and not transmitted, or a malfunction may occur. Moreover, each time the specifications of the operation unit are changed, it is necessary to remake the cable for signal transmission from the operation unit to the controller, which has a drawback that the design burden is heavy.</p><p> An object of the present invention is to reduce the number of cables by transmitting the input information to the switch operation unit instructing the operation of the washing / drying means to the device control unit by infrared rays.</p>

<p> In order to solve the above-mentioned conventional problems, an instruction is given to operate a housing that covers the entire device, a washing / drying means for washing and drying the object to be cleaned, a storage unit for the object to be cleaned on which tableware is placed, and the washing / drying means. It has a switch operation unit and an equipment control unit that controls the operation of the washing / drying means, and has an infrared transmission path unit that transmits input information to the switch operation unit to the equipment control unit.</p>

<p> By having an infrared transmission path unit that transmits input information to the switch operation unit that instructs the operation of the washing / drying means to the equipment control unit in this way, it is possible to reduce the number of cables for information transmission that have been conventionally installed. In addition, it is possible to simplify the configuration and improve reliability, such as not having to create a cable each time the specifications are changed.</p>

The first invention is a housing that covers the entire device, a washing / drying means for washing and drying the object to be cleaned, a storage unit for the object to be washed on which tableware is placed, and a switch operation for instructing the operation of the washing / drying means. It has a device control unit that controls the operation of the washing and drying means, and has an infrared transmission path unit inside the housing that transmits input information to the switch operation unit to the equipment control unit. By transmitting the above by infrared communication, the number of cables for transmission can be reduced, the configuration can be simplified, and it becomes easy to respond to changes in specifications.

In the second invention, particularly in the first invention, the device control unit is installed on the back surface of the object to be cleaned, and by locating the device control unit at a position close to the device to be controlled, the cable group The purpose is to shorten the length.

The third invention includes a housing that covers the entire device, a washing / drying means for cleaning and drying the object to be cleaned, a storage unit for the object to be cleaned on which tableware is placed, and a cleaning unit that is pulled out from the housing when the tableware is placed. When the time is up, the sliding means that pulls into the housing, the switch operation unit that instructs the operation of the cleaning and drying means, the equipment control unit that controls the operation of the cleaning and drying means, and the input information to the switch operation unit are transmitted to the equipment control unit. It has an infrared transmission path portion installed in the sliding means, and by installing an infrared transmission path along the linearly installed sliding means, it is possible to stabilize the infrared transmission characteristics. it can.

In the fourth invention, particularly in any one of the first to third inventions, the infrared transmission path portion is performed by an optical fiber installed along the sliding means, and the infrared transmission is confirmed to be more accurate. Information can be transmitted.

The fifth invention, particularly in any one of the first to third inventions, is that the infrared transmission path portion is an optical fiber installed along the lower part of the object to be cleaned, and by confirming the transmission of infrared rays. More accurate information can be transmitted, and by selecting the lower part of the object to be cleaned as the installation location of the transmission line, the installation space can be secured and the transmission line can be set with a margin.

A sixth invention, particularly in the third or fourth invention, comprises an infrared light emitting means of an infrared transmitting unit composed of a plurality of light emitting diodes that generate infrared information transmitted along the left and right sliding means. Therefore, it is possible to improve the reliability of information transmission by transmitting information from a plurality of transmission lines.

In the seventh invention, particularly in any one of the first to sixth inventions, the device control unit has a window for receiving infrared rays, and the light receiving element can reliably receive the infrared signal.

In the eighth invention, particularly in the first to sixth inventions, the device control unit covers the window for receiving infrared rays with an infrared transmitting material, and can greatly contribute to the improvement of the reliability of the light receiving element. It becomes.

In the ninth invention, particularly in any one of the first to eighth inventions, the infrared transmitter is detachably configured, and it is possible to appropriately respond to changes in the specifications of the dishwasher / dryer.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to this embodiment.

(Embodiment 1) FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the dishwasher 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, the housing 3 has a structure in which a cleaning object storage unit 2 for storing tableware and other objects to be cleaned is installed inside, and is stored inside by a sliding means 6 including a rail 4 and a roller 5. ..

In addition, a nozzle (not shown) for ejecting hot water for cleaning and a heater (not shown) for drying are also installed inside the object storage unit 2.

In front of the object to be cleaned 2, a switch group 8 of the switch operation unit 7 for instructing the start, stop, time, cleaning method, etc. of cleaning and drying of the object to be cleaned is installed. The input information input by pressing the switch group 8 with a finger is converted into infrared output by the microcomputer (not shown) inside the switch operation unit 7, and is transmitted from the output LED 9 to the inside of the housing 3 by infrared rays. It is installed on the side surface of the cleaning object storage unit 2 and is received by the control box 12 having the infrared receiver unit 10. A signal for driving a heater (not shown) or the like is output from the control box 12.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the control box 12 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

When the dry button 13 of the switch group 8 is pressed, information is transmitted to the control box 12 by infrared rays, and the signal from the infrared light receiving unit 10 enters the base 16 of the NPN transistor 15 via the output port 14 of the microcomputer 40 and enters the NPN transistor 15 Conducts between the collector and emitter of. Then, a current flows through the coil 17 of the relay that drives the heater (not shown), and the contact 18 closes.

By wirelessly communicating the input information to the control box 12 with infrared rays as described above, it is possible to transmit a signal without routing a bundle of cables inside the housing 3. Further, if the power of the switch operation unit 7 is supplied from the battery, there is no electric wire connected to the switch operation unit 7 from the outside, and the installation location can be determined without considering the electrical wiring.

FIG. 3 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the dishwasher 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

The difference between FIGS. 3 and 1 is that the control box 12 having the infrared light receiving unit 10 is located on the back surface of the object storage unit 2 to be cleaned, and guides infrared rays to the infrared light receiving unit 10 on the rail 4 of the sliding means 6. It is where the reflector 20 is installed.

The control box 12 is a means for controlling the on / off of the pump and the heater and outputting a signal for controlling the valve for water injection and drainage, and it was desirable to install the control box 12 near the control target if possible. The back surface of the object to be cleaned 2 is a place suitable for the condition that it is installed near the controlled object, and the wiring can be shortened. Further, since the rail 4 of the sliding means 6 is formed with the side surface of the object to be cleaned 2 linearly formed, the input signal from the switch operation unit 7 located in front of the object to be cleaned 2 is sent to the back. The shape of the control box 12 located is optimal for use as an infrared transmission path. Infrared rays from the output LED 9 are reflected by the reflector 20 and travel along the rail 4 and are received by the infrared receiver 10. ..

In this way, by configuring the input signal to be transmitted by infrared rays, the signal can be transmitted to the light receiving unit installed at a distant position, and the electric wire group for information transmission can be eliminated.

FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the dishwasher 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

An optical fiber 21 that serves as an infrared transmission path is installed along the rail 4, and forms a transmission path from the output LED 9 to the infrared receiver 10. By using the optical fiber 21, it is possible to introduce infrared communication not only in a straight line but also in a curved line or a complicated place.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the dishwasher 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

An optical fiber 21 serving as an infrared transmission path is installed in the lower part of the object storage unit 2 to be cleaned, and forms a transmission path from the output LED 9 to the infrared light receiving unit 10. The optical fiber 21 transmits information to the control box 12 installed on the back surface of the object to be cleaned 2 through an area where a space for routing is secured in the lower part of the object to be cleaned 2. At that time, since the light is diffused from the end face of the optical fiber 21, there is no problem in information transmission even if the optical axes of the optical fiber 21 and the light receiving LED 10 are not exactly aligned.

FIG. 6 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the dishwasher 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Infrared transmission paths are created not only on the right side of the object storage unit 2 but also on the left side (not shown), and an output LED 23 that outputs infrared rays transmitted through the transmission path on the left side is installed. There is. By having two infrared transmission paths on the left and right, the reliability of information transmission is significantly improved compared to when there is only one system.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the control box 12 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The control box 12 is configured so that the infrared light receiving unit 10 receives infrared rays incident from the holes 25 formed in the metal case 24. The metal case 24 is installed to protect the control box 12 from noise and to ensure nonflammability. The hole 25 is drilled in a size commensurate with the infrared transmission path (for example, optical fiber 21). By surrounding the control box 12 with the metal case 24 in this way, the reliability of information transmission is dramatically improved.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the control box 12 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

By covering the opening of the hole with the infrared transmission window 26, dust and small insects are prevented from entering the inside of the control box 12, which contributes to the improvement of reliability.

FIG. 9 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the dishwasher 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 9, the switch operation unit 7 is electrically connected to the outlet 27 installed on the front surface 30 of the dishwasher 1 by the outlet plug 28, and is supplied with electric power for transmitting infrared rays. Further, the switch operation unit 7 is held by the magnet 29 on the front surface portion 30. The infrared signal is output from the output LED 9 and transmits information to the infrared light receiving unit 10 of the control box 12. According to this configuration, even if the specifications of the switch operation unit 7 are changed, the transmission system can respond to the changes in the specifications without any change. Further, although the configuration in which power is supplied by connecting the outlet 27 and the outlet plug 28 is described in the figure, it is also possible to abolish the contact portion of the power supply by using a battery as a power source (battery-powered). In addition, if it is battery-powered, there is no concern that water will enter the power system, leading to improved safety.

In this way, the dishwasher / dryer of the present embodiment is configured to transmit the signal of the switch operation unit installed on the front panel portion by infrared rays, thereby reducing the number of cables for information transmission that have been conventionally installed. In addition, it is possible to simplify the configuration and improve reliability, such as not having to create a cable each time the specifications are changed.

As described above, the infrared ray-saving remote control means according to the present invention can be used not only for dishwashers but also for electric appliances in general as a safety device.

<figref num="1">Partial notch perspective view of the dishwasher in the first embodiment of the present invention</figref><figref num="2">Configuration diagram of the control box according to the first embodiment of the present invention</figref><figref num="3">Partial notch perspective view of the dishwasher in the first embodiment of the present invention</figref><figref num="4">Partial notch perspective view of the dishwasher in the first embodiment of the present invention</figref><figref num="5">Cross-sectional view of the dishwasher / dryer according to the first embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="6">Partial notch perspective view of the dishwasher in the first embodiment of the present invention</figref><figref num="7">Perspective view of the control box according to the first embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="8">Cross-sectional view of the control box according to the first embodiment of the present invention.</figref><figref num="9">Partial notch perspective view of the dishwasher in the first embodiment of the present invention</figref><figref num="10">Sectional view of a conventional dishwasher</figref>

Code description

1 Dishwasher / dryer 2 Storage unit for objects to be cleaned 3 housing 4 rails 6 Sliding means 7 Switch operation unit 8 switches 9 Output LED 10 Infrared receiver 12 Control box 13 Dry button 17 coil 18 contacts 20 reflector 21 optical fiber 24 metal case 25 holes 26 Infrared transmission window 27 outlet 28 Outlet plug 29 magnet 40 microcomputer